


Ruby Finds a Penny

by ChaoticEther



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-11 23:31:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17456363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticEther/pseuds/ChaoticEther
Summary: Weiss and Ruby have been sent to destroy an Atlas military base.





	Ruby Finds a Penny

Ruby didn’t really know what to expect when they broke into the lab. Ironwood had told them it was where they kept the “special cases,” the thoroughly insane scientists responsible for most of Atlas’ weapons development. They were only there to destroy the means of production. Weiss grew more disgusted with each step they took, only dragging them closer to the heart of Atlesian madness. Perhaps most off-putting was how… clean everything was. There was a sterility to the violence. Even the floors had a mirror-sheen, all funnelling the pair to the deepest point. Perhaps it came as no surprise, then, when they walked past a lab with the door display reading “Dr. B. Polendina.” Ruby froze for a second, Weiss’ reassuring hand directing her attention back to the mission. Penny was gone. But seeing the name still made her heart ache. All the things that poor girl never got to do because of Cinder and her lackeys. The emotions that Ruby wasn’t entirely able to process at the time. _She was just a robot,_ she’d told herself for nights on end afterwards, like it would make the loss any easier to bear. Her mind drifted back to the present situation as they stood in front of the door to R&D 1. Weiss punched a code into the lock, the blacked-out windows sliding away to reveal a lone figure illuminated in the centre of the room. She’d have recognised those shades of orange and green anywhere. Hair still coiled, but now flowing down to her hips, bangs still slightly rough-hewn around her features. The girl’s eyes had definitely changed. Gone were the friendly, innocent green eyes that Ruby recognised, replaced by a burnished silver all-too-similar to her own. In place of the dress was a school uniform, reminiscent of Beacon’s, albeit coloured a dirty white with green lines accenting the skirt. Ruby looked above the mechanism holding her in place, only to see _that name.  
Penny Polendina. Serial No. 0005._

Weiss’ pleading faded to static as Ruby collapsed to the ground, her knees buckling from the mere sight. The Grimm being held in the facility caused her eyes to activate, their glow tinting her tears as she looked up from the floor once again. Penny. Was she really in there? Is Atlas using her programming to mass-produce robots with aura? The ringing in her ears drowned out the quiet whirring as the machine seemingly powered up, dropping “Penny” to the ground as it did so.  
“Penny Polendina! Combat Ready!” Friendly. _Disgustingly_ friendly. Ruby winced as she heard it.  
“P-P-Penny-?” The young girl sobbed, hoping she’d just imagined it. “I… I’m sorry. I couldn’t-”  
“You seem to have me confused with someone else of the same name. Would you like some help looking for them? I will have to check with my father, but we can-”  
“Shut up!” She screamed, mostly just so she didn’t have to hear _her_ voice still. “You’re not my Penny!”  
“Oh, she was never _your_ Penny, my dear.” An elder gentleman spoke up, illuminated only by a display in the corner of the room. “Although I must admit, your contributions to her, how do I put this politely? Growth, are much appreciated.” The man froze in place as Weiss summoned a glyph below his feet, stopping him advancing towards her partner. The ex-heiress joined Ruby’s side, eyes narrowing at the robot before speaking, clearly pained,  
“You don’t remember Ruby!? She was your best friend! How do you just… Forget someone like that!?”  
“I am sorry, I have never left this facility. You must be mistaken.” So monotone it stung even Weiss, barely holding back her own rage.  
Looking back over his screen, Dr. Polendina’s eyes widened as a flash of red dashed over him. Unable to move Ruby, Weiss decided to inspect the development herself, tearing up as she finally got a look at the screen.  
_Logic Error: I’m here, Ruby.  
_“Ruby, she’s…” Weiss was interrupted by the crimson streak whisking the scientist into the furthest wall. Crescent Rose’s spike was held firmly to the man’s throat, Ruby’s finger hovering over the rifle’s trigger.  
“Bring her back!” She screamed, shaking the man responsible, “I want her back! Put my friend back in there!”  
_Logic Error: Ruby, please…_  
“I don’t care if it’s ‘against your orders’ or whatever _fucked up_ reason you have! Penny’s in there and I’m not leaving without her!” The young girl’s weapon began to waver as she seethed with anger and despair. She wasn’t losing her again. A flash of the Vytal Festival, and Crescent Rose clattered to the ground. Ruby lifted the man off the floor with her bare hands, glowing eyes burning into his. The new Penny, until now silently observing proceedings, turned to face Weiss, who looked back to the computer once more.  
_Logic Error: Miss Schnee, please, tell Ruby I love her._  
“ _Ruby!_ ” Weiss yelled, more authoritative now. Just enough to get her attention, though she didn’t look away completely, merely tilted her head to show she was listening. “Look… The screen.” The Ice Queen grabbed the output and moved it onto the glass beside them, overlooking the production plant.  
_Logic Error: Ruby Rose. My best friend.  
_Time stood still once more. That couldn’t be real. The robot standing in the room with them wasn’t Penny. Whatever remained of her friend was clawing at the seams, trying anything to get noticed. Her voice cracked as she tried to speak once again, hoarse from shouting.  
“P-Penny? You’re… Here? H-h-h-how do I-I get you out?” She jumped as a blade grazed the back of her head, pinning the scientist to the wall. “Penny” was in full combat mode, swords dancing behind her before being launched in series at the defenceless girl. Rolling under the wire, Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose before firing a well-placed warning shot, severing the connections of two blades.  
“If you’re not Penny, I don’t have a reason to miss the next one.” Coldly, the robot swiped at her once more.  
_Logic Error: I can’t stop the programming!_

Weiss was much quicker to catch on than the combat AI. _God, she’s smart,_ Weiss noted, watching the sniper-scythe dance in her partner’s hands. Every assault, more and more swords were sent hurtling free from their connections. Finally, she stopped, panting, practically doubled over. Tears still pooling by her feet, she looked back up at “Penny,” her own silver eye approximations widening slightly as the despair tugged at something buried inside her. Something so primal it got past the layers of new code telling her to disregard emotions. An empathy they couldn’t fully remove. The red pleas to stop suddenly turned green, almost as though they were incorporated into the program now. Instantly, the robot’s stance changed from offensive to panicked, cables retracting into the backpack as she ran to Ruby’s side.  
“Ruby…” Penny’s voice was different. Sincere. Even more emotionally charged than the crying girl ever remembered. She offered no resistance to being swept up into a soothing embrace, not that Penny would’ve given her a choice regardless. “I’ve missed you. So much.” Ruby couldn’t help but break into a tiny smile. Both of them were noticeably different than when they’d last met. Releasing her vice-like grip, the android looked down, inspecting her own new outfit and straightening it with her hands before roughly gathering her long hair, draping it all in front of one shoulder, tilting her head, and smiling like she always had. No words needed. Just that _goddamn_ smile was enough to convince Ruby. With Weiss taking the other shoulder, the trio walked out as the facility fell apart. Ruby had finally gotten her back, and she wasn’t leaving her again.


End file.
